Saturday, June 27, 2015

World Series: Did You Know?

The Yankees won the 1962 Fall Classic, despite batting just .199 as a team. Their opponents, the San Francisco Giants, hit .226. It looked like in game one that it might be high-hitting series, but it was not to be.

Game one saw the Yankees win 6-2 in Candlestick Park, but barely out-hit the Giants 11-10. The game was closer then the score would indicate as the teams were tied at two going into the top of the seventh. A surprising home run by Clete Boyer broke the deadlock. Boyer knocked home another the next inning with a sac fly. But San Francisco seemed to have the edge in pitching after this.

Ralph Terry pitched a fine game for New York. However, he took a 2-0 loss. Jack Sanford stopped the Yankees cold on just three hits. Mickey Mantle hit a double in the top of the ninth, but he was stranded. It was on to New York in game three, where the Yankees seemed doomed for a while against Billy Pierce.

The Yankees scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the seventh off Billy Pierce, and it was enough for a win. Singles by Tom Tresh, Mantle and a an error brought Roger Maris to the plate in that inning with two runners in scoring position. Roger came through with a single to score two. Later, he scored the third an final run of that inning.

New York got nine hits, but only three runs in game four, and the Giants squared this thing at two games with a big 7-3 win. Maris and Mantle both scored a run, but were held hitless, as was Elston Howard. Worse still, an ex-teammate of Mantle's got the win, Don Larsen!

Game four was tied at two, like the World Series itself, going into the bottom of the eighth. But a dramatic, three-run home run by rookie Tommy Tresh paved the way for an eventual 5-3 win by the Yankees. But the Yankees woes at the dish continued as they were held to just six hits at home. And while they were up three games to two in the 1962 Fall Classic, they'd have to win it on the road.

New York lost game six in San Francisco, 5-2. Billy Pierce pitched even better this time. It seemed amazing that the Bronx Bombers got two runs in this game, as they collected just two hits. Their biggest was Maris' solo home run in the top of the fifth. But the Giants were ahead 3-0 at the time. Whitey Ford took the loss for the Yankees. Winner-take-all game seven!

That's where Ralph Terry pitched a gem for the Yankees. He'd lost game two, won game five, and pitched a shutout in game seven! But how about the Yankees? Well, they got only seven hits. And only one run. It proved to be enough, but the run scored on a double play. Willie Mays hit a double to put runners on second and third with two down in the bottom of the ninth. Willie McCovey lined to Bobby Richardson at second to end it. The Yankees didn't do much hitting, but they managed to pull it out!

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